Defiance
by MarshMella
Summary: Perhaps, she thought, he found her as much of a mystery as she found him. (A collection of Juno x Starkiller one-shots that take place during the first game.)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: So I played the first game again recently which then inspired me to do this little piece as a break from my main fic. It's set straight after the scene where Juno confronts Starkiller about his still working for Vader. You may want to watch this spot in case I get the time to write another shot or two when I feel the need for another break.**

**This story is also a gift I'm dedicating to Liisiko for being so awesome and putting in so much time with helping me with Severance.**

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><p><strong>D e f i a n c e<strong>

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><p>He didn't know what to do.<p>

He could face down a group of mighty rancor without a moment's hesitation. He could tackle a Jedi Master in combat and emerge victorious. He was swift, dark and deadly and so confident in his art that none but his Master could truly instill fear in him. And yet, with her...

He didn't know what to do.

And it hurt. Hurt in a way he had never experienced before. An unreachable, insatiable ache deep in his chest that could never be consoled with bacta. He didn't understand this pain and he wasn't sure that he wanted to. The prospect of what it could mean frightened him perhaps as much as a condemnation from Lord Vader, himself. A saber wound - though painful - could heal. Death would grant a peace of its own. But this? He didn't like the endless quality of this feeling.

A cold, rigid hand settled on his shoulder and he remembered - quite suddenly - that PROXY was still there, hovering anxiously at his side. The digits tightened to replicate a human gesture of comfort. It was all the comfort Starkiller had ever known; until _she_ had come along and made him realise that a droid's sympathy was empty. A mere replication. An act. PROXY meant well but the gesture only made the hurt worse. Besides, he didn't deserve any sympathy.

Not for this. Not for what he had done.

"Master..." PROXY sounded hesitant. "Perhaps you should go after her?"

"What good would that do?" He snapped, shrugging out from PROXY's grasp. "She was right about me. About everything. She trusted me and I..."

"You did what you had to do in order to achieve your primary programming, Master."

"I'm not-" He caught himself and bit back on his anger. This wasn't PROXY's fault, either. "Just go."

"But-"

"I'm fine. _Go_. I've got to prepare for our next task."

The droid seemed reluctant, but he did as was asked, backing up towards the door and then taking his leave in silence. The flare of his photoreceptors were brief as he turned back to give the dejected Half-Sith a fleeting glance.

Then the doors closed and Starkiller was alone. Alone with his thoughts and the pulsing pain in his chest. He reached up to rest a hand over its source, but his palm was cold and offered no respite at all.

He hadn't wanted Juno to find out about his allegiance to Vader in the way that she had. He'd wanted a chance to tell her himself that he was still bound to his Master's will. That Vader was still giving the orders. That, instead of working to free the galaxy he was still trying to see to its ultimate slavery. He was luring the rebels to their deaths. There was no way to gloss it over or glorify it. He was a killer and so aptly named. He'd wanted to tell her...but there had never been a good time.

He had been a coward.

Starkiller thought that perhaps it would have been better-_kinder_-to have left her on the _Empirical_ after all. His betrayal was far worse than Vader's betrayal of her. The Dark Lord was a cruel monster known for his merciless ways. To be turned upon by him was no surprise, but for him, Starkiller, to do it too...

...He wasn't just a work colleague to her, was he?

_'Then why did you defy Vader to rescue me?'_

Friendship? Could he consider Juno his friend? He wasn't sure. He'd never really had a friend before...well, not one who wasn't always trying to kill him, anyway.

The question repeated itself again in his head, louder and more demanding. Why? Why had he saved her? Why had he chosen to specifically go against Vader's wishes, then, when he never had before? What was it about her that had changed something in him? Even PROXY's reminder of Vader's orders hadn't given him cause for hesitation. He'd said that he hadn't been sure what he was going to do whilst knowing full-well that his mind was already made up.

There had never been any question about it. He wouldn't have left that ship without her.

Starkiller had been pacing and now he paused to lean against the wall by the door. The lights were dim, as they always were and he was sure he could still smell the scent of Juno's worn, leather jacket. Although perhaps that was his imagination...

_'I needed someone to fly the ship.'_

_'We both know that's not true. My being here has never been about my piloting.'_

Did she know something he didn't? Had she been giving prompts that he'd failed to notice? He gritted his teeth with frustration and ran his hands up over his face and across his close-cropped hair. It probably didn't even matter now. He'd betrayed her just like Vader had done. There were no excuses for it and he doubted she'd ever forgive him. There had been so much hurt in her eyes and he had been the one to put it there.

What would she do now that she knew?

Would she tell Kota and the others and ruin any chance he had of making amends? And what if she did and they turned to confront him? Would he fight or...would he give himself up? Or maybe she would just leave him. Go somewhere else where people wouldn't keep betraying her.

If only he could make her understand the conflict in him.

He didn't _want_ to serve Vader. He hadn't wanted to serve him since waking up on the _Empirical_ all that time ago. And as time had passed he had become more and more conflicted about his pretend-allies. Somehow, without his realisation, his pretense had become the truth and this guise of 'Jedi' had become the new reality. He liked this new life where people listened to him and treated him as an equal. But nothing came so easy. If he wanted to keep what he'd made for himself, he'd need to fight for it. He'd need to come up with a plan and doing that was not going to be as easy as any of the things he had achieved so far. All he knew was that if he let Vader continue to manipulate him...if he continued to be nothing more than a puppet, he'd lose everything that mattered.

He would lose _her_.

But how did he put this right? How did he come clean and let everyone know what was going on without them turning on him? How did he go out there, stride into the cockpit and tell Juno what was going on in his head? Tell her how he wanted nothing to do with Vader. Tell her about his internal struggle and his fear-yes, _fear_-over defying the very man who had held him as a slave for as long as he could remember. Vader had taught him to obey through fear and pain and hatred. That was all he had ever known and those chains bound him even now, though they were chipped and weakened; threatening to set him free.

Vader probably knew it, too.

Without warning, the ship came alive around him and he felt the shifting of its rapid acceleration. Apparently, Juno had already mapped out their route to Raxus Prime. It wouldn't be long now...

He felt suddenly tired and the ache in his chest seemed to resonate with a new, horrible energy.

He knew what he had to do and, when he was 'faced with that moment' he would remember Juno and he would do the right thing. Vader had been his past but that didn't mean he had to be the future. Perhaps if words could not convince of his intentions to do good, his actions would.

And the question came again...

_'Why did you defy Vader to rescue me?'_

"Because...maybe..." He murmered. "I sort of like you."

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><p>fin.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: A fluffy one-shot from the first game which takes place just after their first visit to Felucia. Not much else to be said about this one.**

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><p><strong>Feelings<strong>

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><p>Juno was distracted and it bothered her deeply. Try as she might, she just couldn't seem to be able to focus for any length of time without lapsing back into thoughts not related to her work. The calculations scrolling across her display went unseen.<p>

It was Starkiller's fault, she reasoned. If it were not for him and his mysterious Force powers than she would have been functioning without any problems at all. But he'd gotten into her head, possibly in the more literal sense than people would believe, and the memory of it kept replaying over and over.

With a sigh of frustration she hit a button to send the calculations back to the beginning.

_You can't hide your feelings from me. No matter how deeply you bury them._

That was what he had said, wasn't it? She hadn't misheard him? Misunderstood? She'd been thinking of the Battle of Callos when he'd come out with it and her heart had almost burst from her chest. If he could sense her unease over those memories, what else was he able to glean from her? It felt invasive and the very thought that he might be able to pick up on things that she'd rather keep hidden away had her palms sweating and her face heating with embarrassment. If he had picked up nothing more than her shame and discomfort about being reminded of the destruction of Callos, she wouldn't have minded so much. But recently…

She coughed in an attempt to distract herself and stared at the calculations in dismay. They'd passed her by yet again. How was she going to get anything done? Perhaps she ought to ask him what he had meant. Find out specifics. Tell him to keep out of her head. But what if that only made him curious and exacerbated the situation?

_You can't hide your feelings from me._

Maybe, she reasoned, he could only pick up on the negative emotions. Worry. Fear. Anger. It would make sense considering his training had been aligned along those particular specialities. The scars that branded cruelly across his skin were proof of that. Vader being his master was proof of it, too. But was that how it worked? Juno truly had no idea. The Force was a foreign thing to her. The things that it could do – that it could be applied to – seemed limitless and Starkiller was far stronger than she'd ever imagined a Jedi – no, a _Sith_ – could be. The Jedi were the enemy, she reminded herself hastily. Or that's what her father had always led her to believe.

Still, with the way her thoughts had been drifting lately, surely she would have noticed if Starkiller had picked up on them. Unless he really wasn't at all bothered by them.

_Urgh_. This crush she had was getting out of hand. It was unprofessional. It was wrong. It was driving her insane. But she didn't want to give it up, either.

Starkiller had awoken something in her and she realised, with some sadness, how alive it made her feel. It was as if she had been living with a cold hollow in her chest. As if there had been a part of her missing; an important part that she didn't want to lose now that she had finally found it.

Juno had been a studious teenager, the trait becoming more dominant once she had been accepted into the academy. Becoming a pilot had meant everything to her. It had been her life. Nothing else could have compared and she had been determined not to let anyone get in her way. And yes, okay, so there had been the odd short-term boyfriend but they'd never set her heart to racing or distracted her the way Starkiller was distracting her now.

She'd never felt this sort of attraction towards anyone before.

He was a conundrum waiting to be solved. Someone who was so much more than what he first appeared. He was supposed to have been heartless and cruel but he was nothing how she had thought he would be. He had a temper, yes. He wasn't very social either and he frowned far too much. But…there was a kindness hidden behind defensive walls and she'd seen glimmers of it from time to time.

It didn't matter how often her head told her that it was too dangerous to get attached, either. Her heart wasn't listening. She was smitten: well and truly. Now all she could try and do was make sure it didn't affect her work. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be trying hard enough. And that could prove to be deadly if her distraction led to a failure. Vader was not known to be forgiving and there had already been seven pilots before her. There was no mistaking her position. Piloting the _Rogue Shadow_ for Starkiller had not been a promotion. It was important, certainly, but it was also getting her out of the way. She could not fool herself into thinking otherwise. Failure here didn't mean losing her job. It meant losing her life.

_You can't hide your feelings from me._

She squirmed, feeling decidedly awkward, and practically leapt out of her skin when Starkiller dropped into the co-pilot chair beside her. His bemused look had her face flaring with embarrassment.

"Didn't hear you come in." She gave as a lame excuse, wishing that her face wasn't so prone to flushing.

"We ready to go?" He asked, sounding impatient.

"Not quite."

She got the distinct feeling that he struggled to hold back a sigh and heard the chair squeak as he leaned back into it. That was probably all the conversation she was going to get out of him unless she pushed for more.

Still, with him there, she was better at keeping her thoughts reined in and, when she reset the calculation feed, she managed to keep her head right through to the end.

"Has Vader contacted you?" She asked when it was done.

"He has."

Juno wondered what they would be tasked with next. Could there be many more Jedi for them to hunt down? And if there were none, then what other role would he take? Vader had surely invested too much time in Starkiller's training to do away with him. Still, the thought was unsettling and she shoved it away the moment it started to fester. It was best not to start jumping to ominous conclusions.

Glancing at Starkiller from the corner of her eye (a habit she had only just recently started) Juno was struck then with an idea that both excited and frightened her. What if she tested his abilities to see just how open her feelings were to him? What did she have to lose? Her dignity? Well, if he had sensed her feelings before now then she'd already lost that. She shifted her weight and cast another brief glance at him. Perhaps knowing, no matter the outcome, would help her keep her concentration on the job.

And so, timidly, Juno conjured a thought that she was sure even he couldn't ignore.

She imagined what it would be like to kiss him.

He'd be unsure and nervous and she got the distinct impression that he would be shy. He couldn't have had much – if any – experience with girls before and kissing would definitely be out of his comfort zone. Still, it was easy enough to imagine how sweet it would be; putting that girly, romantic spin on it.

The room was dimly lit and she was pressed against his chest with his arms looped around her waist. Every move she made was slow and sensual, taking the lead as she reached up to bring their lips together. His mouth was hesitant and testing against hers and she'd lean closer, revelling in the warmth of him, enticing the kiss down a more passionate path. Then he'd find his confidence, his grip tightening about her, his mouth pressing hard against hers; unpractised but teeming with ardour. She'd reach up again, set her hand against his cheek to draw him closer still and run her fingers up through the stubble of his hair. It would be so delicious that her toes would curl and her heart would pound and—

—And nothing.

Not even the flicker of an eyelid from him.

Hastily averting her eyes, she considered what this could mean. If she was to assume that he wouldn't have been able to ignore it completely, there were a number of other possibilities. Perhaps he couldn't pick up on feelings he wasn't familiar with or maybe he couldn't pick up on them at all and that comment the other day had been mere exaggeration. Or, maybe the 'Force' had known her thoughts had been conjured with an ulterior purpose – though they were certainly not fake.

She really _would_ have liked to kiss him.

"Ready?" He asked, his tone flat.

His voice startled her and before he could prompt her again, she locked the co-ordinates and took the ship through to hyperspace.

Perhaps, she thought, he found her as much of a mystery as she found him.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Any other first game one shots I come up here will also be posted in this 'collection'.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.**

**Note: Okay, so apparently I am in fluff-writing mode. Another one-shot for you all that takes place early on in the first game. I think my next one will be in Starkiller's POV. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

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><p><strong>Curiosity<strong>

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><p>Juno was curious.<p>

Too curious for her own good, some had often said. Even Starkiller would have agreed if she had asked him and they hadn't even known one another for long. But she couldn't help what she was and her mother had always encouraged her to question. Curiosity was healthy, she had always said in her daughter's defence when her father had grown irritable of her endless questions.

_Why did some stars shine brighter than others? _

_Why didn't people have wings like the birds? _

_Why couldn't girls be pilots?_

Her inquisitive nature had tamed down a little with age, but not much, and where, as a child, she would have asked without inhibition, now she mused silently and filed away such thoughts for later research. That had been a trait instilled in her when her mother had died and even the smallest and most innocent of questions could send her father into a temper. Later, she would learn, some of the answers he had given her were wrong anyway.

Girls _could_ be pilots.

Today, however, she decided to word a question that had been on her mind for a while: "How did you get your scars?"

He – Starkiller – turned to look at her, his dark eyes decidedly wary. His silence tempted her to prompt again but she steeled her patience and waited. He'd never been a particularly forthcoming person and she doubted anyone had ever asked him that before. Eventually her patience and steady gaze paid off.

His head tilted quizzically and he responded with the guarded tone of someone cautious of being caught out. "I was too slow."

Well…that was a disappointing answer.

Juno made a face at him and tried again. "During missions?"

His eyes darted away. "During training. Mostly."

Her gaze settled on his arm resting against the chair; the marks there only partially covered by a tattered sleeve. The wounds inflicted on him had all healed badly and it was more than likely that he'd never been given medical attention after one of his 'slip-ups'. If he had, there might not have been any scars there at all. It was a cruel way to train a boy. To instil fear and pain. To enforce the point that if mistakes were made there would be consequences. Perhaps Vader hadn't expected the boy to survive the training. Maybe he was surprised when he did.

But there was one scar on his arm quite unlike the others. A clean scar not at all like the ugly, puckered marks left by a lightsaber.

"What about that one?" And, without thinking, she reached out to touch it, unprepared for how quickly he withdrew from her querying fingers.

_Right. _She thought miserably. _Personal space._

Judging from his wounds, he'd probably come to think of contact with another person as something that brought pain. Another behaviour programmed into him as a child. Feeling strangely rejected, she pulled away and gave him room.

"I don't remember."

She frowned. His disinclination to share anything was beginning to annoy her. What did he think she was going to do? Was it wrong to want to get to know the people you worked with? Had the other pilots not been curious at all? Or perhaps they'd just had greater restraint – not that that had helped them. They were dead now.

"You aren't the only one with scars, you know." Her tone was sharper than usual and she noted – with some degree of pride – that she'd gotten his attention.

"You have scars?" His brow arched, clearly disbelieving.

"Why do you say it like that? Is it so hard to believe?"

"Well…yes. It is."

Juno frowned. "Fine. I'll show you." And before she'd even considered what she was doing, she was pulling the shirt out of her waistband and was turning her back to him.

"Juno—what—?"

"—There." She interrupted. "Do you see?" She had hiked up her shirt just enough to expose her lower back and the short, horizontal mark that cut a pale line across her skin.

"How did that happen?" He asked. His tone wasn't exactly curious. In fact, it sounded almost heated and when she turned back it was to see him looking deadly serious. That was…an unexpected reaction.

"It was a long time ago. An accident." She sat down again and drew in a long breath. "My father lost his temper a lot but he only hit me that one time." Perhaps, after seeing his daughter weeping so hard she could barely breathe, he realised there was a line that even he shouldn't cross. After that, he only ever raised his voice, never his hand nor the thin cane he had used on her that day. And, before she could even stop herself, she could hear herself excusing the behaviour with the: "He was grieving" line. And for all the bad in him, Juno did believe that he had loved her mother. He must have—once.

The conversation faltered and for fifteen minutes, at least, nothing was said. Eventually, Starkiller broke the silence with: "I don't remember how I got the scar. Ask PROXY. He'll have it in the logs."

The progress was slow with the introverted assassin but it _was _still progress.

Later, when Starkiller had retired to the ship's onboard training room, Juno tracked down the gawky holodroid.

"Ah, yes. That particular injury was sustained during Master's third official mission as Lord Vader's assassin." The droid replied with ease. "The primary target was prematurely alerted to Master's presence and was prepared for his arrival. Master made the mistake of over-confidence and failed to evade an attack from the target's weapon-mounted prosthetic limb."

"And Vader was responsible for the others?"

"Approximately seventy-six percent."

"And the rest…?"

"A further eleven percent is as a result of his duels with me." The droid continued. "Thirteen percent from the missions undertaken."

"Eleven from you?"

"Affirmative."

Juno couldn't help but feel nervous at that. She'd seen the pair of them duelling but as far as she had known, PROXY had never landed a hit. They must have been from a time before Starkiller had mastered his abilities. It gave her some insight, though. f even Starkiller's droid was trying to attack him it was no wonder he was so wary when it came to personal space. He had grown up around others who would have hurt him severely if given the chance. Even his friend.

"Will that be all, Captain Eclipse?"

"For now." She nodded. "Thank you, PROXY. You can go back to your work."

Juno decided, then, that she'd make it her personal mission to show Starkiller that not everyone was out to hurt him. She also realised that she didn't want to just be his pilot. She wanted to be his friend.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading and for your reviews! :)<strong>

**The support is loved.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Back with another chapter. Not much else to say except: thanks for all of your support!**

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><p><strong>Rescue<strong>

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><p>She opened her eyes and lifted her hand to touch his cheek with a gentleness quite foreign to him. And – for the first time in his life – Starkiller didn't pull away from it. The relief that flooded through him at seeing her alive was an intense thing that dragged the tension from his muscles and left him feeling shaky and weak. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with it.<p>

"You're…alive?" her voice cracked. "But Vader…he said you were dead."

The memory of pain and the cold, sucking vacuum of space flittered at the back of his mind. He'd thought he had died, too, until he'd woken in that med lab. The only thing different – as far as he could tell - were his missing scars. Their absence was…strangely disturbing. Perhaps Vader had seen to their healing in order to support his new guise as one of the rebels. It wouldn't have been done out of kindness, that was for sure.

Tentatively, he set a hand on her shoulder. "Can you stand?"

She nodded through a pained expression and dragged herself to her feet – not one to play the damsel in distress. There was something wrong with her leg, though, and she would have toppled if he hadn't intervened; putting an arm against her back to balance her. He could feel the ridges of her spine through the thin layer of her clothing.

"You're hurt?"

She nodded. "It's my ankle."

"We need to get moving."

She nodded again. "How long do we have?"

Not long enough. They would need to move fast. Much faster than the pace she was capable of setting in her current condition. The ship pitched sharply beneath their feet, throwing her against him and before he'd really considered that he should warn her first, he lifted her up into his arms.

"Hold on."

And she did; wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself more securely against him. It was an intimacy that he could honestly say he'd never experienced before and that could have explained why his heart had suddenly started hammering wildly.

No. No. That was just the situation they were in. Nothing to do with her.

Gritting his teeth, he launched into a sprint – aided by the Force – all too aware of the growing temperature and the horrible groans of the ship – as if it sensed its impending doom. Already the structure was warping; the ruptured floor deforming beneath his feet. Off to his right, something exploded as a direct result from the heat and he enhanced his shield of Force energy to try and keep the scorching temperature at bay.

Up ahead, another explosion tore a hole in the corridor's wall and he felt Juno turn her face against his chest, her grip tightening.

She shouldn't have worried, though. He had no intention of letting any of the flying debris reach her.

"Master?" PROXY called, his voice urgent.

"Almost there!"

The _Rogue Shadow_ gleamed orange and red, the hatch already open for them to board. Behind them came the rumble of further explosions, urging him to hurry. He had no idea how much time they had left but it couldn't have been long.

Planting his feet firmly, he launched them both towards the ship, using the Force to carry them much further than any normal man could leap. His boots thumped against the loading ramp as he landed; slamming a hand against the door mechanism as he ducked into the ship.

"We're in. Go. _Go_." There was a horrendous sound of twisting metal and then the stealth ship lurched into action, pulling away from the condemned _Empirical_ and the blazing, hungry sun.

Perhaps ten seconds later, a huge explosion ripped a wave through the reach of space, throwing the ship violently sideways. Starkiller braced himself against a wall with one hand, trusting Juno to hold on.

She did.

"Are you alright?" he asked when everything was quiet.

She nodded briefly, her head rubbing against his shoulder, reminding him of their closeness. His heart gave a strange little flop as he manoeuvred them deeper into the ship.

"Where are we going?" she asked, sounding a little dazed. "The cockpit is back that way."

He glowered down at her. "You can't be serious."

"I'm fine." She tried to insist.

"No. You're really not. Don't worry about it. PROXY has everything under control." He had meant it to be a comfort to her but it seemed to have the opposite affect. Her frown deepened momentarily and she lapsed into angry silence.

"Stop worrying," he said, firmly, edging sideways through the door that led to the room Juno had slept in before her arrest. Then, with an unexpected gentleness, he set her down on the bed, being careful not to jar her leg.

"But what are we going to do?" she asked, softer.

"Get some sleep." But as he moved to straighten, her hand reached up and grabbed him by the wrist, sending an electric jolt through him.

He froze, his skin pimpling in response to her touch and his heart gave another strange little twist. There was no 'life or death' situation to blame it on this time, though.

"Thank you," she said, relaxing her grip. "Thank you for coming back for me."

He wasn't sure what to say to that.

He couldn't tell her that he'd had his orders from Vader to leave her behind. Even if he could let her know about Vader's plan to lure the rebels into a false sense of security, telling her would bring questions that he didn't necessarily know how to answer. Why had he done it? Why risk everything he had worked and suffered for to save her life? She was a nuisance. She was replaceable.

Wasn't she?

Starkiller swallowed, feeling strangely nervous but unable to look away.

Her eyes were very blue.

And slowly, her fingers uncurled and her hand dropped away. Had she sensed her affect on him? Had he been so obvious?

Starkiller flustered, backing away from the bed the moment he was free of her.

He needed to get out.

And it was only when the door had closed between them and he was heading back to the cockpit that he felt he could breathe again.

What was happening to him? Was this some sort of side-effect of the procedures he had undergone in that medical lab?

It had to be. Right?

_Right?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: Another one-shot for you! Not sure how I feel about the direction this one went but here it is, all the same. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read and review. Your support means a lot.**

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><p><strong>Trust<strong>

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><p>Starkiller looked up as she padded into the cockpit; wide awake when she should have been asleep.<p>

Some people might have asked if everything was alright, but he simply turned back to stare out of the viewport. Most of the time she was grateful for his lack of interference but today…

…today she needed someone to talk to.

Would it have killed him to ask if she was okay?

Juno dropped into her seat with a soft sigh and reached back to smooth loose strands of hair behind her ears. It was at times like these that she wished there was someone more empathetic travelling with them. Someone who would listen without judgement and offer comfort. It wasn't something she needed very often, thankfully, but the need to talk things through with someone did spring up from time to time. And here, in the ship, she had only Starkiller. He could listen, at least. That alone might be enough to settle her restlessness.

"Couldn't sleep." She began without prompt; hopping to stir him into conversation.

Starkiller only nodded, unsurprised. Perhaps he found it difficult to sleep, too, though his indifference was mildly annoying. Was insomnia so common that it was considered peripheral now?

Stubbornly, Juno continued. "I keep thinking about my mother. About what she used to be like when I was little." Her mother's face was a blur now but Juno found that she could recall conversations with her as sharply as if they had been only yesterday.

"She died?" His eyes had turned towards her now; dark and tentatively curious. That was better.

"Yes. I was young when it happened."

"So why think about that now?" He was being surprisingly communicative. Perhaps the 'idea' of parents was something he found interesting. She had a feeling he'd never known his. Or couldn't remember them, at least. Perhaps, in some ways, that was easier.

"They wouldn't let me go to the funeral, but I read the report when my father was out. She got caught up in some sort of 'civil disobedience'. That's what the reports said, anyway. An innocent victim in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And…you have doubts about that?"

"I'd never questioned it before. Why would I? I was young and naïve. I didn't think an official report from the Empire could ever contain lies." She frowned, her mouth twisting into a troubled grimace. "I'm starting to wonder whether they told any truth at all."

She took his silence as a sign to continue. "I found my profile. I'm marked down as deceased. An executed traitor of the Empire." Her eyes burned with fury. "And we both know that isn't true. I didn't turn my back on my duty." She wondered how her father would take the news that his only child had turned against everything he had believed in. He probably wouldn't be surprised, though he'd be angry that she'd brought shame to the family name.

And what was that expression Starkiller was wearing now? Uncertainty? Guilt? Perhaps he _should_ feel guilty. It was he and Vader who had been conspiring against the Emperor. They had been the traitors and she had been an unknowing accomplice.

But no, she couldn't be angry at Starkiller. She never had been. Vader had used him and discarded him in the same way as she had been. They had been the Dark Lord's scapegoats in case something went wrong. They were in this together.

Juno sighed. "Knowing what is in my report, what's to say my mother was an innocent bystander? What if they'd covered up the fact that she was rebelling to avoid awkward questions? What if she had been purposefully targeted?" Maybe that's why her father was so bitter and angry about it.

"What does it matter?" Starkiller replied. "You'll never know the truth, so why spend time thinking about it?"

She slumped back into her chair, annoyed. He was right, of course. It wouldn't do her any good. But that didn't help the way she felt. Just because her questions couldn't be answered didn't mean she'd stop asking them. "It feels as if my whole life has been a lie. Everything I ever worked for. It's gone. I just…" she trailed.

"So…you think if your mother was some sort of renegade that it'd make you feel better about what's happened to you? Is that it?"

"No." She blinked, rethinking. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Everyone lies, Juno." He replied, turning away from her. "Not just the Empire."

"Some lies are bigger than others."

He gave no response, perhaps because he didn't know what to say. Surely he must feel bitter, too. Angry at being betrayed by his mentor. Or maybe he had always expected it. Was she the only one to have been so blind to the inner workings of those she flew for? Maybe her 'execution' was meant to send a message out to anyone else who was thinking of abandoning their post.

"Who can I trust now?" she asked – so quiet that she didn't expect a response.

"No one." He replied simply. "Trust no one but yourself."

The tension in her face relaxed into sorrow. To trust no one sounded like a dismal, lonely way to live life. Besides, it was too late for that. She had placed her trust in him already.

"Is that how you live your life?" she asked gently.

He seemed startled to have the conversation turned back on him.

"You didn't trust that Vader was giving you suitable missions? You didn't trust that I would be there at the rendezvous point when you were done?"

"No one trusts Vader." He replied, sounding riled. Juno wasn't quite sure how true that was, though.

"And me?"

"I've already lost seven pilots."

"And that's as many as you are going to lose." She replied forcefully. "I'm not going anywhere."

She met his gaze and was amazed at how taken-aback he looked. Then, in an instant, he was tearing his eyes away from her; severing the moment.

Juno had the feeling she'd just put an end to their conversation. Still, she was surprised at just how much she wanted him to trust her and maybe a little hurt that he didn't. Had she ever done anything to make him doubt her abilities? She didn't think so. Or maybe he was just incapable of believing in others.

But whatever the case, he was right about one thing. She'd never find out about the truth of her mother's death. Unfortunately, that didn't mean she could just switch off her thoughts. There was so much she didn't know. The betrayal had shaken her and the uncertainty of the future was more than a little troubling.

And if she wasn't a Captain in the Imperial Navy, then what was she?

All she knew now was that she'd stick with Starkiller no matter what he decided to do. They were both 'renegades' and it was safer sticking together than it was to go their own separate ways.

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><p><strong>Okay, that might be the last one for a while. My pot of ideas has now been emptied! However, if anyone has any suggestions  scenes they would like to see, then let me know and I'll see what I can do :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed**

**Note: A big thanks to Lusitana for giving the idea behind this particular piece.**

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><p><strong>Friendship<strong>

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><p>"You don't remember anything at all?" Juno asked him, clearly displeased at his first answer. Did she think rephrasing her question would bring something different? Because it wouldn't. He didn't remember his parents or his childhood. He didn't remember anything except the pain of failed lessons and the dark silence of almost constant solitude.<p>

"No." The word came out sharper than intended and the expression on Juno's face told him that he'd annoyed her. Or upset her, maybe. The thought of that curbed his exasperation at her inquisitive nature. When he spoke again, his voice was more compliant.

"I don't remember them. I doubt I ever knew them."

There. That worked. The frown lines had eased, though he didn't like how the curious glint had returned to her eyes.

"But it doesn't make sense. Vader must have taken you from somewhere."

She was right, of course, but knowing that wasn't going to bring any moments of shining clarity. If he'd ever had memories of a childhood he did not recall them. He had probably been too young when Vader had come for him. Or maybe Vader had locked his early memories away. Attachments led to distractions. It would have slowed his training or faltered it completely. He'd never really understood that until he'd met Juno. Not that he was _attached_ to her, or anything. She was just different and she _was_ a distraction.

If she had been some sort of test then he'd certainly failed it. Failed it badly, too. Starkiller would never admit it, but she'd distracted him from the get go. He still recalled how surprised he had been at how she had shown no outward fear of him. Only curiosity. _Always_ curiosity. That was more than could be said of most of the other pilots he had worked with. Most of them had been wary or suspicious or just downright disrespectful of a boy who could overpower them without even trying.

"Did you ever ask him?" Juno continued, drawing him away from his thoughts. Unable to solve her own problems, had she moved on to solving his? It was a wasted effort, if so. She'd be more likely to find out about the truth of her mother's death, than his own. Besides, he didn't care anyway. Why would he?

"About what?"

"About where you came from."

He gave her an incredulous look. "No."

"What about PROXY? Does he know?"

"If he does, he's not telling."

And who knew. Maybe his parents had given him up willingly for the cause. He couldn't say he would be surprised at that scenario. For every person who rebelled against the Empire there was someone fiercely devoted to it.

It didn't matter in the end, anyway. Vader would have killed them, willing or not. His secret apprentice wouldn't be very secret for long if there had been bragging parents _or_ distraught ones.

No. Even if he had been curious he knew there would be no one alive to find. What was the point of chasing after ghosts?

"I just don't—"

"—Juno," he interrupted. "Let's just focus on finding Kota."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see her give pause; considering. The expression she wore wasn't hurt. Perhaps perplexed might have been the more accurate word.

"You really don't care?"

"No." Though he wasn't sure whether that was true anymore.

"Well, _I_ care."

He blinked. "Why?"

"Because…" she paused for half a beat, "because you're my friend."

An awkward silence followed.

What did he say to that?

It was something that had been known between them, certainly. Known but never spoken. Having it confirmed out loud was a strange thing. It made it real. Made it breakable.

But before he could even start to conjure a reply, she had turned back to her work. Perhaps she had taken his lack of response as some sort of rebuke. If so, he didn't know what to say to fix it. Silence was safer.

"It'll take me a moment to get us ready for the jump to hyperspace. Hopefully this will be the last location we have to look." She paused for a moment. "But I won't hold my breath."

Her face was tinted pink, he noticed, but her voice was level as it usually was.

"He can't evade us forever," he said.

"He's avoided capture so far." Juno pointed out. "He's good at it."

"We're getting closer." Starkiller refused to think otherwise. "He can't run forever."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Also, a small update for those who read 'Severance'. I'm doing a big rework on the epilogue which means it will be delayed somewhat. However, as a result, it will hopefully be a much better reading experience. With Liisiko's help I'm going to be working hard on it over the next couple of weeks. As always, updates on its status can be found on my profile.**


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